Week 6: Troll Bridge

This week I decided to go for one of the shorter reads, and read the short story “Troll Bridge” by Terry Pratchett. Even though this piece was written in 1995, the humor is somewhat timeless. As long as technology advances and society evolves, there will be people who long for the old way of doing things. The main characters in this story, Cohen and Barbarian and Mica the troll, both long nostalgically for the life they knew growing up. Cohen is a classic “hero” type who has always wanted to defeat a bridge troll, however it has become nearly impossible for him to find a bridge that still has a troll underneath it. Most trolls have moved onto better lives in the city. Mica has held onto the tradition of bridge trolls, and desires for his son to take his place as guardian of the bridge after he’s gone. Both these lifestyle choices have left the characters in rough situations. Their refusal to “move with the times” has left Cohen without any money, and the troll family with no treasure and few prospects for their many troll children.  Cohen’s talking horse and Mica’s troll wife both criticize these decisions, citing them as the reason for their bad situations.

After reading this story I am left thinking about what the message is. There is certainly value to maintaining heritage and tradition, however stanchly refusing to advance can put the younger generations at a disadvantage. Mica explains that many of his troll brothers have taken up alternate occupations, and while he turns his nose up at them, there is no denying these troll families are not struggling in the way that Mica’s is. There has to be a happy balance that can be found between these two conflicting mindsets. The future comes whether we like it or not, so resisting those changes completely is not wise or feasible. However, as mentioned in the beginning and end of the story, the tales of the past are preserved in the culture through storytelling and oral tradition. In that way, the adventure and heroes of this fantasy world’s history will never truly die.